Who are we?

Mission and Goals

• Restore native and Interjurisdictional fishes, wetlands and aquatic habitats.
  
  

• Fulfill federal trust responsibilities to Native American Tribes.
  
  

• Prevent the extinction of federally endangered mussels.
  
  

• Address the spread of nonindigenous aquatic nuisance species.
  
  

• Provide environmental education.
  

Geographic Area Served:

And includes bodies of water:

• in Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Michigan, and Wisconsin.
  
  

• Mississippi River bordering the Upper Mississippi River National Fish and Wildlife Refuge to Rock Island, Illinois.
  
  

• Illinois Waterway.

Services Provided To:

• Menominee, Mille Lacs, Prairie Island and White Earth Tribes.
  
  

• Federal and state agencies.
  
  

• Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission (GLIFWC).
  
  

• St. Croix National Scenic Riverway.
  
  

• Fort McCoy military base.
  
  

• Other Fish and Wildlife Service offices.

Activity Highlights:

• Fishery restoration - lake sturgeon restoration efforts on the Wolf and Red River basins.
  
  

• Monitoring for zebra mussel infestations on the St. Croix and Mississippi rivers, and round goby and Asian carp distribution in the Illinois Waterway.
  
  

• Aquatic habitat restoration and enhancement.
  
  

• Assist with endangered mussel restoration - Higgins' eye and Winged mapleleaf.
  
  

• Spring and fall electrofishing with GLIFWC, monitoring walleye populations on ceded territory lakes in northern Wisconsin and Minnesota.
  
  

• Annual Fishing Days for veterans and young first time anglers.

History:

In 1981, the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act authorized the establishment of the Fishery Resource Office (FRO) in Winona, Minnesota. The FRO was created to provide technical assistance within the states of Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin to sixteen Native American Reservations, one U.S. Army Installation, eight National Wildlife Refuges, two Veteran's Administration Hospitals, one National Cemetery and numerous Waterfowl Production Areas.

The (FRO) office was relocated in 1995 to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Resource Center, 555 Lester Avenue, Onalaska, Wisconsin where it still resides today. In addition to the Fishery Resource Office, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Resource Center accommodates field offices, laboratories, instructional facilities, and maintenance equipment for several other regional and national U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service programs, including the La Crosse District Office of the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge (NWFR), the La Crosse Fish Health Center (FHC), the Wetlands Status and Trends Program, Ecological Services, Law Enforcement.

Staff:

From left to right: Mark Steingraeber, Ann Runstrom, Heidi Keuler,
Dave Wedan, Pam Thiel, Scott Yess, and Nancy Christopherson

(click name to go to their bio's)

• Pam Thiel (Project Leader)
  
  

• Scott Yess
  
  

• Mark Steingraeber
  
  

• Ann Runstrom
  
  

• Dave Wedan
  
  

• Nancy Christopherson
  
  

• Heidi Keuler